
PUBLIC RETREATS
REGISTRATION
If you have any questions we can be reached
by email at info@shimmeringlight.info
or by phone, 585-394-7610.
GUIDES
All programs are led by professional educators with passion for people and our planet! They will inform and inspire you to deepen your relationship with the natural world and with one another.
LOCATION
All programs take place at Shimmering Light
Renewal Center
6143 Hicks Road
Naples, NY 14512


The Transformative
Fire of Rage
Women's* Retreat
August 19-21, 2022
Shimmering Light Farm
Naples, NY

Anger is a rational and emotional response to trespass,
violation, and moral disorder.
- Sonya Chemaly
Been feeling more rage rising up than usual these days?
Tired of pushing it down? Or lashing it out?
Longing for space to feel…be held and witnessed…
and let your anger teach you?
JOIN a sisterhood of women poignantly feeling how current events are tapping into age old trespasses that most women have experienced in body, mind and/or spirit. Explore different responses to trespass; from disabling to liberating.
UNCOVER what is beneath our fiery emotions of anger and outrage. Perhaps we'll find vulnerability, violation, shame, sorrow, inadequacy, hopelessness, grief, powerlessness, despair, fear for self and others and more...
FEEL…allow yourself to feel and befriend your anger/rage as together we co-create a brave, sacred, compassionate space.
EMBODY through somatic movement, dance and ceremony whatever emotions arise…what may be eating us up from the inside...what is ready to be seen and heard.
HONOR both the loss and pain and the wisdom and the treasures that our emotions may be trying to bring to the surface.
DISCOVER how allowing ourselves to feel rage can bring with it bolts of illumination; clarity about what has been trespassed, within or without. Clarity, also, about our unmet needs.
OFFER affirmation and tenderness to these trespasses and needs and experience how this shared witnessing can create fertile ground for intuition, creativity, and inspired action to take root. Maybe even the seeds of forgiveness, for our own trespasses and others’.
LIBERATE energy that may be stuck in our bodies and psyches for own, unique, powerful purposes.
TRANSFORM potentially debilitating feelings into inspired action. Mining the wisdom within our anger frees us…informs us…transforms us into powerful co-creators of a world of liberation, regeneration and justice for All Beings.
COME! We all viscerally know that the suppression of women’s anger harms – not helps -- us, society and our Mother Earth. Now, try something different.
What Phoenix is trying to rise from the fire of your rage, Dear Sisters?
Sometimes we come most deeply in touch with nonviolence when we are in touch with all the aspects of violence within...if we feel everything...without shame.
– Grandmother Beth Garrigus
We will see what manifests at the time but together we may:
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Generate a timeline and put voice to some of the most pressing personal and social trespasses in our lives.
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Invite our fiery dragons to tea and ask them what they are trying to tell us, what they need.
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Create Descansos; tender, nature memorials to the trespasses, losses and fears that fuel our rage.
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Engage our anger/rage in Fire Ceremony….drum, dance, shake, chant, and allow whatever sounds emerge…accessing our inner fire to transform frustration, fear and anger into passion and desire to initiate beneficial action.
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Turn to the land and the forest via Forest Bathing and Herbalism for nurturing, wisdom and inspiration about what our own unique, wise, powers and actions may be.
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Listen to the wise woman within and ancient feminine archetypes …through guided meditations, quiet time, stillness…hear what they need and their creative solutions.
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Explore and try on various practices of forgiveness. Different than condoning or forgetting; forgiveness can be an act of creation. Explore time-honored methods to engage the process of forgiving, including the Hawaiian Ho’oponopono and a tender Buddhist practice.
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Gather the guidance we receive into Terrariums of Transformation to remind us of our growing powers and to cultivate them in the days and months ahead.
*Our usage of the word "women" refers to any humans who hold this particular gender identity, regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth.
JOIN US!
This is a 3-day immersive retreat, Friday, August 19th – Sunday, August 21st, at the beautiful Shimmering Light Farm & Renewal Center in South Bristol, NY.
The retreat is limited to 15 participants with your choice of camping or private or shared lodging at The Renewal House, a bright, cozy, Cape Cod style home, surrounded by fields, woods, hills and the stunning vistas above Canandaigua Lake.
The retreat commences at 10am Friday and concludes at 2pm Sunday. All activities will take place either outdoors or in our 5,000 sq. ft., open, breezy, Great Barn Loft, weather depending.
REGISTRATION: Investment for the weekend is:
$450 for private room in The Renewal House.
$400 for a shared room in The Renewal House.
$350 for (your own) tent/camper for the weekend.
Investment includes meals (with the exception of Friday lunch, more details provided upon registration) and all activities and supplies.
Limited scholarships available.
Pre-registration with non-refundable 50% deposit due by July 30th. Balance due upon arrival.
REGISTER HERE!



FACILITATORS: Jan McKie, Holley Hainen and Deb Denome feel compelled and inspired to offer this vital opportunity together.
The retreat includes teachings from many different wisdom traditions that Jan, Deb and Holley have received over the years via; Linda Heron Wind, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rocio Alarcon, Ram Dass, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Harry Uhane Jim, Beth Garrigus, Eckhart Tolle, Brooke Medicine Eagle, Kaia Ra, Debbie Rosas and more.
About Jan McKie
Jan graduated and was ordained as a non-denominational minister thru the Fellowships of the Spirit, in Cassadaga, NY, studying Meditation, Spiritual Healing and Prophecy. She continues a meditation practice in depth, using the yoga sutras and discovering the many ways to bring stillness within, into the householder day.
Jan has and continues to study Native American/Earth mage teachings, philosophy, from Linda Heron Wind, Brooke Medicine Eagle and others. Every day she is reminded how much nature; the land, the forest, the animals offer us teachings, to provide us inner substance to learn and discover more of who we are as spiritual beings in this human body.
Jan and her partner owned and operated The Quiet Place for 20 years. They are retreat homes in the Finger Lakes that offer folks a place to reconnect with the quiet stillness of nature, themselves, their Spirits, and to discover solace and retreat from their busy lives. It has since been sold and continues to offer the same restorative retreats in the beauty of the Finger Lakes region.
About Deb Denome
Deb Denome is an Educator, Registered Horticultural Therapist, Herbalist and Certified Forest Therapy Guide. She is passionate about the expansion of human consciousness as it informs our Interdependence with All Things. Deb's greatest joy is in helping individuals to deepen their own relationship with the Earth, each other, and our own true nature.
Deb has been reveling in her relationship with the natural world since she was a very young child…the field and forest, lakes and streams, all a source of sanctuary, wisdom and livelihood. Over the course of her adult life she has been blessed to study with many Native and non-Native teachers and learn/remember philosophy and practices for living in greater harmony with all life.
Since 1997 Deb has served as Director of Shimmering Light Farm & Renewal Center, a non-profit educational organization that explores, models and inspires more conscious and restorative ways of life. She is also founder of Finger Lakes Forest Immersion. Her previous corporate career was in international training and publishing and she was the 2008 Canandaigua Athena Award recipient for her work promoting women in leadership. Deb is blessed to live and play at Shimmering Light Farm in South Bristol, NY. Here, overlooking Canandaigua Lake, she raised three fascinating young adults, tends abundant herb gardens, and dances as often as possible.
About Holley Hainen
Angel of Radical compassion. Creatrix of Awaken Spirit LLC. There is no doubt that the Love, Light & Energy radiated by Holley Hainen emerges from a life-long pursuit of healing and self-mastery. As a Somatic Educator, Sensory Scientist and ordained minister Holley has found purpose in guiding others to the discovery of their own sovereign divinity, fiercely loving their own body, mind, spirit & emotions.
Her journey with oracular medicine, energy healing, combined with Earth-keeping Native American wisdom includes an aspiration to collectively shift the consciousness of humanity to ratify that we are ONE with our sacred Mother Earth and all that is. As a Nia teacher, Second Degree Nia Black Belt, Holley creatively combines years of professional dance practice with somatic, metaphysical, healing movement.
Given the current political climate, Holley contributes her 20+ years of experience working in radiography, specializing in women's imaging. Witnessing the physicality of social influences placed upon women's bodies, she recognizes that as women we are One in our rage, emotions & struggles regarding our physical rights and health. Holley is currently residing near the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina where she renews her spirit hiking with her Akita puppy Koji.
Previous 2022 Retreats...
Spring Revival!
Retreat Day

Saturday, March 26th, 2022
10am – 4:00pm
Shimmering Light Farm & Renewal Center
Naples, NY
By late March, even if it's cold, the call of spring is unmistakable!
Come ease out of the constricted winter chill and stretch/open into invigorating HEALTH AND VITALITY! This will be a day of remembering how and why our relationship with the wider-than-human world (aka the rest of nature) is a radiant path to living a life of wholeness.
Evidence-Based Nature Connection Practices
Together we will learn no-cost or low-cost, evidence-based practices that lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, reduce anxiety, and improve mood and sleep. They can also enhance immune system function, accelerate recovery from surgery or illness, increase heart rate variability and boost energy. Many also report feeling a new sense of belonging and purpose. Nature connection is not a nice-to-have, its a need-to-have for a healthy human.
Fascinating Theory/Science as well as Sensory Exploration
First we’ll take a peek at the science. We may explore Biophilia, Earthing, Schumann Resonance, Phytoncides, Geosmin, Fractals, Negative Ions, and more. Then we'll sink into embodied experiences that feed our senses, drawing us into the richness of our environment and the Present Moment. Whether the scientific terms excite or bore you, we promise that the experience of them will be enlivening!
Community, Fun, Nature Connection, and Luxurious Herbal Delights
We’ll be both indoors, learning and sharing in our warm, spacious Gathery - and outdoors, taking in the emerging spring world through Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Bathing. We'll wrap up the day with some bodily delights crafted with our plant kin (stay tuned for your choices!).
Registration
$95 includes Lunch, Lively Discussion, Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Bathing, Bodily Delights, Fine Company and a revitalized You!
Register HERE
Space is limited. Registration is requested by March 19th
Guides for the Day
Barb Monsour
Certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Guides and Programs, Barb recently returned to the Rochester area after 22 years living and raising children in the Syracuse area.
Barb connected with Forest Therapy about five years ago through a newspaper article shared by a friend. She had recently journeyed through some particularly difficult life events and found the woods of Central New York and the Finger Lakes region very healing—as significantly healing as her supportive community of family and friends. It felt like perfect timing to have been trained during the pandemic, as the program kept her focused on heart-centered nature connection practices.
Trained also as a health and medical professional, Barb has been encouraged to see the growing body of scientific evidence to support what we forest lovers have always known—spending time in and with the natural world is simply OUTSTANDING for our overall well-being!
Deb Denome
Deb Denome is an Educator, Horticultural Therapist, Herbalist and Certified Forest Therapy Guide. She is passionate about the expansion of human consciousness as it informs our Interdependence with All Things. Deb's greatest joy is in helping individuals to deepen their own relationship with the Earth, each other, and our own true nature. She finds Forest Bathing/Shinrin-Yoku to be a profound yet simple and accessible path to expanding these connections.
Since 1997 Deb has served as Director of Shimmering Light Farm & Renewal Center. Her previous corporate career was in international training and publishing and she was the 2008 Canandaigua Athena Award recipient for her work promoting women in leadership. Deb is blessed to live and play at Shimmering Light Farm in South Bristol, NY. Here, overlooking Canandaigua Lake, she raised three fascinating young adults, tends abundant herb gardens, and dances as often as possible.